First, let me assure you this meditation, “The Replacements” is not about the sports comedy football movie featuring Keanu Reeves. No, instead you find a fact I looked up and also something that can be applied to our faith and the perpetuation of our faith to the generations following us.
Let’s start with the fact. According to a 2021 post published by Integris Health, “Your skin grows fast. Like really fast. During a 24-hour period, you can lose up to 5 billion skin cells (that’s nine zeros!) — about 200 million every hour. Your epidermis (the top layer of your skin) is continuously working to replace these lost skin cells with new ones. In fact, 95 percent of the cells in your epidermis work to make these new skin cells.” Amazing, right!
Now, let’s apply this replacement fact about our skin cells, to our faith and the perpetuation of our faith. Unlike our bodies, unfortunately, we are not continuously working as believers to produce or develop replacements, grow new recruits in sound doctrine to serve faithfully when we have done all we can to advance the kingdom of God. What does this mean? It means that we must all be working on replacements to ensure that representatives of the generations to follow our generation carrying on, without interruption, the work to build the kingdom of God on this earth. Let me be clear. I am not saying that we need to quit doing what we can do in serving the Lord. You have heard it before, but we will say it again. While our roles may change, there is no retirement in the kingdom. Therefore, keep working in some capacity to sustain the church, local and universal. Yet, make sure you are taking the time to bring to the forefront new laborers to do the work that the Lord wants us to do.
As you deducted from the fact stated above, our epidermis is continuously working to bring forth replacements. That work is done without it being noticed and truthfully, probably up until today, for many, seldom appreciated. Now hear this! Our work to bring forth replacements to perpetuate the faith may also go unnoticed or, on the positive side, it can be very noticeable. In either case, it must take place.
We know what our bodies will be doing as it relates to skin replacement in the next 24 hours, but what about what we will be doing? What are we going to do to replicate servants of God, replacements, in the days ahead?
Did I give you something to think about? I hope so! Have a wonderful Wednesday! Be blessed.
“So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about 3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers]. They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to eating meals together and to prayers. A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts, praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:41-47 The Amplified Bible)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King